Red Shoes and Hurricanes
by dietcokechic
Summary: Sam discovers that sometimes doing one's duty completely sucks. A post Seth SG-1 adventure full of angst, whump and teammy goodness.
1. Chapter 1

Title: Red Shoes and Hurricanes

Summary: Sam discovers that sometimes doing one's duty completely sucks. A post Seth SG-1 adventure full of angst, whump and teammy goodness.

Category: General team fic, with focus on Sam

Rating: Mostly K+, but later chapters might be T because of some whumping scenes. I'll warn you before hand.

Set in early Season 3, which means (to me), no shippiness. Although we *may* see some awfully sweet hurt/comfort in later chapters.

Related Episode (Tag): This story takes place a week or so after the events in episode 302 - Seth.

Disclaimer: The characters from Stargate Sg-1 are not mine. I am just really glad they're available for my imagination to play with. (Sorry Jack. I ended that sentence with a preposition.)

 **Chapter 1**

Colonel Jack O'Neill was not a happy camper.

He angrily shoved his hands into his pockets as he walked briskly down the SGC hallway, wishing there was a Goa'uld or some other alien bad guy nearby that he could beat the crap out of. The two hour meeting he had been forced to sit through had been bad enough, but the fact that they didn't actually listen to a damn thing he had said made his skin crawl. SG-1 was _his_ team. _He_ should have been able to stop this. Jack knew this was a very, very bad idea, but he had his orders. Rubbing his temples in an attempt to dissipate the rapidly growing headache, Jack turned and headed towards the elevators.

Jack exited on Level 19 and slowed his pace as he neared what used to be an empty lab. Sometime in the last two weeks however, it had gained an occupant. Under normal circumstances, Jack would have passed right by, barely noticing the change and certainly not bothering to stop and say hi. It wasn't like there was much of a reason for Colonel Jack O'Neill to check-in on one of the SGC's scientists. Now _his_ scientists however, often needed frequent check-ins. _His_ scientists needed reminders to eat and sleep. Jack was pretty certain both Carter and Daniel did indeed eat on a quasi-regular basis (they never would have cleared medical for off world missions if they were anemic or something), but Daniel once admitted that he had worked 72 hours straight, sleeping only the occasional cat nap and consuming only granola bars for fuel. Those were his words. 'Fuel'. Jack made a note to invite those two - and Teal'c - to his place for a team BBQ soon.

The now not-so-empty lab seemed to pull his attention away from his destination at the end of the hall. Nothing wrong with a little pit stop, right?

"Knock, knock." Jack rapped his knuckled on the open doorway and poked his head inside, surprised to see the usually tidy lab piled high with tagged artifacts and binders. Standing to one side holding an unfortunately familiar-looking black sphere was a shorter than average man in a white lab coat.

Jack felt his heart race, as military training took over and he stepped towards the scientist. "Hey! Put that down! " The scientist immediately turned towards the voice and, startled, dropped the round object.

 _Not what I meant!_

Jack reacted instantly, throwing himself to the ground and covering his ears. A moment passed, then two. He cautiously removed his hands and opened his eyes. No explosion.

"Oh! Colonel O'Neill! You scared me!" Jack looked at the still-standing scientist in confusion.

"I scared _you?"_ Jack stood up and took a quick breath, trying to dispel the excess adrenaline still shooting through his blood stream. It took him a moment, but the scientist realized what this must have looked like and had the good graces to look guilty.

"Er...sorry about that, Colonel O'Neill," the scientist said, bending down to pick up the round object. He waved it casually in the air a few times. "This Goa'uld shock grenade isn't active you see."

"Of course it isn't," Jack declared, shaking his hands slightly as he exhaled. On the plus side, the adrenaline surge had released a cocktail of all-natural endorphins that were still coursing through his body. For the moment, his headache had completely vanished. Jack studied the scientist before him and mentally snapped his fingers in memory.

"Dr. Lee," Jack said in only a slightly irreverent tone, "playing with dangerous doo-dads I see."

"Yes," Dr. Lee said nodding, picking the object back up. "Well, no..." he paused, placing the potentially hazardous 8-ball-looking device on the table in front of him. "This isn't truly dangerous. Now I mean." He paused again and looked at O'Neill. "Captain Carter had already deactivated the stunning mechanism."

"Of course she did," Jack replied. It was after all, Carter that had hired Dr. Bill Lee away from MIT earlier in the year. She wouldn't have given the newbie scientist anything truly dangerous. Right?

"So..." Jack once again shoving his hands into his pockets in an attempt to be casual. "How's things?" Dr. Lee looked at him in confusion. Colonel O'Neill hadn't said more than three words ('Welcome to the SGC') to him since he arrived. Truth be told, he was a bit surprised the man had remembered his name. It was very strange to have him here in his lab.

"Everything is fine, Colonel," Bill said finally. "I'm just doing one last technical review of these artifacts before they're sent to Area 51 for further analysis. " There was silence as neither man knew what to say next.

"Well," Jack said finally, "I'll leave you to it." Feeling rather foolish for stopping in the first place, Jack gave the scientist one last nod and exited out of the lab.

"That man is awfully strange," Bill muttered to himself as he picked up a shiny black (alien!) rock and placed it into a padded case. Idly, he wondered what that one did.

Jack only needed to walk a few more feet before he found himself at his destination. In an unusual fit of cowardice, Jack rather hoped the occupant of said lab wasn't there.

Naturally, she was.

Sam sat in the corner of her office, madly typing away on her computer, oblivious to the new comer leaning against her doorway. Jack took a moment to study her profile while she worked. Off world, Carter was hyper vigilant and an excellent soldier. One of only a handful of individuals he truly trusted to have his back. _On_ world however, Sam tended to lose herself in mathematical equations and gate-related diagnostics and improvements. As one of the foremost experts on Gate technology, Sam tended to carry the weight of all technological-related decisions on her shoulders. And although Jack could definitely relate to the feeling that his decisions sometimes carried considerable weight and consequence, his extra decade and a half of service made it...easier. No. Easier wasn't the right word, it was never easy. Although Jack would never admit it aloud, he knew he was a pretty competent strategist. He was no Sun Tzu, but he knew he was quite good at making decisions and living with the consequences. He might not always make the right call, but the decisions made were the right ones based on the information available at the time. He almost never second guessed himself. Unlike Carter that is. She seemed to never be truly satisfied with her decisions and craved assurances that her choice was the right one. Jack needed to work with her on that if she ever wanted to lead her own team one day.

Recognizing that he just needed to rip the band-aid off, Jack stepped into the room and cleared his throat. "Hey, Carter."

Sam's hands immediately stilled, as she looked up from her computer screen and gave her commanding officer a smile.

"Sir," Sam said, immediately standing up. "What brings you down to my neck of the woods?" Jack pulled up a stool and sat down, motioning for Sam to do the same.

"Just thought I'd see what you're up to," Jack answered casually. Sam gave him a quizzical look, but before she could say anything, he continued. "How was your visit with your brother?" Sam gave a genuine smile.

"It was good. Really good," she replied honestly. "I admit there was some initial nervousness, but we worked through it. Dad headed back to the Tok'ra last night. He said it would be better to arrive during the day. I guess there's a bit of a time difference between the worlds." Sam gave Jack a somewhat cheeky smile and he returned it with warmth, both remembering a mission where SG-1 had arrived after sunset. It hadn't been dark when the MALP returned images of a temperate planet in daylight. However, by the time they arrived 45 minutes later (Daniel needing extra time to find a particular book), it was pitch black. And raining. Not their finest moment.

"Ah yes," Jack said remembering his surprise at arriving in near complete darkness. Okay, maybe surprise wasn't the right word. At the time, he'd been more than a little annoyed at Daniel. His initial instinct was just to dial home and try again 'tomorrow' (planet time), but he figured his team could use the practice of setting up tents with limited visibility anyhow, so he ordered them to stay. Thankfully, the sun rose just 6 hours later and everything had quickly dried out.

"Way nicer to arrive during day light hours," Jack said finally. "Any idea where Dad was going?" Jack was fishing for information, but so what? He liked fishing!

"Sorry, Sir," Sam said with a shrug. "Dad wouldn't say."

Sam's forehead crinkled in mild concern as she waited for Colonel O'Neill to tell her why he was there. She looked at her watch, wondering if more time had passed than she had thought. Nope. Still morning. "It's too early for you to be bothering me about lunch, Sir."

"Bothering?" Jack teased, raising an eyebrow.

"What I meant, was..."

"Relax Captain," Jack said lightly. "I'm not here to remind you to eat your vegetables. I have something else to discuss with you." Jack began to tap his fingers idly against his pant leg. The action did not go unnoticed.

"Sir," Sam asked, as her eyes narrowed, "is everything all right?"

"Oddly enough Carter," Jack said with a sigh, "no." He abruptly stood up and started walking around the lab.

"You see..." Jack began, stopping to pick up a pencil. "I've been in a meeting..."

Sam surprised herself by interrupting the Colonel. "I know how much you like those, Sir."

"Yes," Jack drawled out, "I've always been so patient with long meetings." He stopped and put the pencil back down.

"The thing is..." Jack continued, as he clapped his hands together and spun back around to face Sam. "This meeting was about you."

"About me, Sir?" After a little over 2 years on Colonel O'Neill's team, Sam was confident in her competence as both a soldier and a scientist. She _knew_ she was good at her job. Not only had she and SG-1 literally _saved the world_ the year before, but they had recently helped bring about the downfall of Hathor just the previous month. And then there was Seth... Sam shuddered minutely as she thought about that mission. Sam still didn't know if it was _her_ or the hand device that had killed him. She was trying her best to put the whole thing behind her. She hoped if this concerned anything she had done wrong, it wasn't something that would result in her being removed from SG-1.

Jack could read the myriad of emotions on Captain Carter's face and knew he needed to get this over with fast before she spiraled into self-doubt. For such a brilliant woman, Carter had self esteem issues. For the life of him, Jack could not understand why, but as her CO, it was his job to help build that confidence.

"You've done nothing wrong, Sam," Jack said, taking a step towards her and pulling up a stool. "Actually, it's because you're so damn good, that we're in this predicament." With a sigh, he sat down facing her. His nervous energy seemed to leave him all at once as he solemnly met Sam's questioning gaze.

 _Off comes the band-aid._

"Seth." The lone word struck Sam like a blow to her solar plexus.

"Oh." _Why did it have to be_ that? The one area Sam really didn't want to revisit. Jack could see shoulders slump in acceptance. "They want me to use it again, don't they?"

"Yeah." They sat in silence for several long moments.

"I really don't want to," Sam whispered, looking down at her fingertips.

"I know." More silence. Jack knew using the Goa'uld hand device on Seth the week before had been hard on Sam. His asinine 'Hail Dorothy' comment hadn't helped matters either. He knew it frightened her. Hell, it frightened _him._ But he also, grudgingly, recognized that having Sam practice on the damn thing might come in handy one day.

"When?"

"Tomorrow."

Sam squared her shoulders and sat up a little straighter. It was her duty after all. "Okay," she agreed. Sam couldn't help but notice the concern on her CO's face. He obviously didn't like the idea any more than she did.

"It will be okay, Sir." Sam wasn't sure who she was trying to convince more, the Colonel or herself.

* * *

A/Notes: Hang on kids! We're in for a fun adventure. Whee! Although this one centers around Sam, all of SG-1 will be major participants and I anticipate action! adventure! whumping (of multiple characters) and of course hurt/comfort. You know I write faster if I know folks are reading this, so let me know what you think of the premise so far!

A HUGE thank you to Flatkatsi for the fantastic title suggestion and beta love.


	2. Chapter 2

The briefing was not going well.

Much to Hammond's astonishment, it was Teal'c who was the most vocally opposed to Captain Carter's use of the Goa'uld hand device.

"General Hammond," Teal'c said cordially, "I understand how the American Air Force might view a hand device as a potential tool to aid in the battle against the Goa'uld, but I assure you, it is not something that should be used with frequency." Sam didn't know how or why, but she knew Teal'c was right. The thought of regularly using the hand device filled her with icy cold dread.

"I have watched many a Goa'uld grow reckless in their control of the hand device. Not only does it require a skilled mind and deep concentration, but with repeated use, I believe it harms the host." None of SG-1 liked the sound of that.

"Harms?" Hammond asked with worry. "How?"

"As First Prime, it was not my place to question the actions of the Goa'uld," Teal'c explained solemnly. "However, I have observed those who regularly used such a device were often..." he paused, searching for the right word. "Those Goa'uld were often the most reckless in their actions."

"General, if I may..." Jack began. Hammond sighed and held up a hand.

"Colonel, I'm sorry," General Hammond said, interrupting Jack. "The decision stands." He focused his eyes on Captain Carter. He had known Sam almost her whole life and this made him nearly as uncomfortable as it did Colonel O'Neill. He could tell by Sam's body language that she was also very uncomfortable with her orders. She of course would do whatever the Air Force ordered her to do, but she was clearly not looking forward to it.

"Captain," General Hammond said, making eye contact with Sam. "Am I right to assume this order is also making you uncomfortable?"

Sam nodded slightly. "Yes, sir."

"Can you explain why?" Seeing the confusion on the Captain's face, Hammond went on to explain. "I think it's important for all of us to go on record in opposition against this."

"Including you, sir?" Daniel asked.

"Including me." SG-1 took several moments to process this. They knew General Hammond always had their back, but this time he was going so far as to openly disagree with a direct order from the Pentagon. Not that the order wouldn't be carried out, but it definitely said something that each and every member of SG-1, as well as the Commander of the SGC, did not like this particular order.

"Captain...?" General Hammond asked again softly.

"I hated how the device made me feel, General," Sam finally said. "It was powerful, yes. But it made me feel edgy and a bit nauseous." She paused, considering her words. "I didn't use the device for long, but the feelings that came after use were... intense." That was putting it lightly. Sam remembered how her left hand shook as she desperately yanked the device off her hand after Daniel confirmed that Seth was indeed dead. She basically threw the hand device at her father as she walked briskly towards the tunnel's exit. She felt stifled underground and desperately needed fresh air.

Sam remembered the Colonel finding her a few minutes later. She had just finished throwing up behind a tree and was struggling to hold her emotions in. Air Force Captains do not cry. The Colonel knew of course that she had just gotten sick, but didn't make a big deal out of it. He simply pulled out a wrapped piece of hard candy and handed it to her.

"Intense, huh?" Colonel O'Neill had remarked casually. Sam knew he wasn't trying to make light of her emotions, rather it was his way of showing support without making her feel weak. Sam had once again been very, very grateful that Colonel Jack O'Neill was her CO. They stood for several moments in comfortable silence as Sam breathed in and out deeply, trying to fully shake the effects of that damn device.

"This could explain why the Goa'ulds are so damn nasty," Sam said finally.

"Somehow, Captain," Jack said with a small smile, "I think the hand device is just one of many, many things that create the monsters that are the Goa'uld."

"You're probably right, Sir," Sam said, straightening her back and taking a cleansing breath. "But damn, if those hand devices don't suck. Sir."

"Suckage noted, Captain."

Sam shook her head slightly to clear the memory and turned her eyes towards her commanding officers. "It's isn't only how it made me feel physically, General," Sam continued. "I just can't help but sense there is something more to it. Something very bad."

"Sam, do you think this perhaps could be a buried memory from Jolinar?" Daniel asked. Sam frowned. It had been nearly a year since the Tok'ra Jolinar had invaded her mind. And while Sam logically knew that Jolinar didn't have much of a choice, the remnants of the dead woman's memories were not always easy to live with. Several times since their return from the nearly disastrous visit to Tok'ra base several months ago, Sam had woken up from very vivid dreams of she and Martouf together. Jolinar and Martouf. It was just so damn confusing!

"Maybe," Sam admitted. "I just get this sick feeling when I think about the hand device. I don't think the Tok'ra like to use it, sir."

"You know," Daniel began, lost in memory. "I don't recall seeing a hand device even once during our visit to the Tok'ra last year."

"Daniel's right, sir," Jack added. Isn't this perhaps cause enough to postpone Carter's training?" Hammond signed.

"I'm afraid not, Colonel." He turned towards Sam again. "Captain, if at any point training with this device causes undue burden on you or your team, we will cease use immediately." Hammond paused and looked down at the printed orders in front of him. "However, until such time as there is a demonstrative negative impact to you or your team, I'm afraid we have no choice."

"But General!" Daniel was beginning to get agitated and Jack was actually thankful for the younger man's words. He felt just as furious as his friend, but military training dictated he could only protest so far. "Shouldn't we at least wait until we can talk to the Tok'ra? Hear their views of the hand device?"

"He does make a good point, General," Jack added hopefully.

"I'm sorry Colonel." Hammond turned towards Sam. "You have your orders."

"Yes sir," Sam answered crisply, sitting up a little straighter in her chair. She might not like it, but she would carry out her assigned orders.

"Captain, you and Teal'c are to report at 1300 to an area on Level 17 that is currently being converted into a training area." Hammond turned towards Jack. "We're all really winging this Colonel, but it would be good if you and Dr. Jackson were there as well. "

"Wouldn't miss it for the world, General," Jack replied, the flippant comment rolling automatically off his tongue despite the cold knot in his stomach.

"SG-1, you are removed from off-world missions for the next week. We'll meet back here at that time to assess Captain Carter's progress with the hand device. Until that time, Dr. Jackson, I believe you have plenty of translations to keep you busy?"

"Always," Daniel said with a resigned sigh. Normally, he looked forward to concentrating on his other work, but not today.

"Captain Carter, I don't expect you to only focus on the hand device. You too have other work you can do?"

"Yes, sir."

"And I do too, sir," Jack said, jumping in before Hammond could single him out. "Important work to do, I mean." All three members looked at Jack with varying degrees of humour.

"Of course you do, Colonel," Hammond said with a smile. "I look forward to the detailed reports of your last two missions by the end of the week." If Hammond heard the soft 'D'oh!' muttered under Jack's breath, he chose to ignore it. Gathering his papers, Hammond stood up, quickly followed by Colonel O'Neill and Captain Carter. With a final nod towards Sam, they were dismissed.

Jack looked at his team around the table. He could see the trepidation and concern on all three. "Cake," Jack declared suddenly as he motioned the team to follow him. "We need cake."

"And coffee," Daniel added.

"DanielJackson," Teal'c asked seriously, as he followed his team down the stairs. "Are you not concerned over the amount of caffeinated beverages you consume on a daily basis?"

"Only when there's none around," Daniel replied with a casual shrug. Coffee. Breathing. Was there a difference?

"Daniel has a thing for his Barista," Jack remarked casually, as the team reached the elevator.

"I do not!" Daniel replied hotly.

"Do too."

"Do not."

"Do...okay, so maybe you don't," Jack admitted. "But she has a thing for _you."_ Sometimes, Jack enjoyed being evil.

Unfortunately for him, so did Daniel. He gave Jack a positively wicked look. "And you."

"Does not."

"Does too."

"Does not."

"We have arrived," Teal'c announced loudly, as the elevator opened on Level 22.

Sam was quiet as she listened to her teammates playfully argue with one another. She knew part of it was just their normal banter, but she was also aware that both men were going out of their way to lighten the mood, make _her_ more relaxed. Sam took a deep breath. She knew she wasn't going to like working with that damn hand device again, but she was very thankful she had these wonderful men beside her to help her through it.

* * *

A/N - All I can say in my defense, was that I could _not_ resist. I started typing and the words just appeared! I'm guessing (hoping!) for some it was a huge nostalgic grin fest. For others, confusion. P _lease_ let me know if the little coffee scene destroyed the pacing and mood of this chapter. And thank you for your reviews and story follows! I'll do my best to keep you all entertained!


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes: Warning! Rating Change. This chapter is now rated 'T' for... let's just say anyone under 12 won't really understand the reference. *Ahem***

* * *

Sam picked up the golden five fingered device and held it securely in her hands. It felt heavier than she remembered. Taking a breath, she carefully pulled the ribbon device onto her left hand. Idly, Sam wondered if these devices could only be worn on the left hand, or if it was just a coincidence that the only two she had ever seen were 'configured' for the left hand. She made a mental note to ask Teal'c about that later. Looking down at the metal ribbon wrapped around her lower forearm, Sam slowly turned her hand over, so she was staring at the gem against her palm.

"You must concentrate, CaptainCarter," Teal'c said softly from her right. "The device is not active if the stone does not glow."

"I know," Sam replied in a quiet voice. She continued to look down at the device, and tried not to notice the two wires snaking out from under her t-shirt, as well as the one attached to the side of her head. A part of Sam was thankful the military was concerned enough to measure the effect the device might have on her body, but a larger part wished she could test the damn thing without broadcasting how it made her feel. The heart monitor behind her showed a subtle increase in beats.

"BPM at 72."

Sam turned and looked at the technician monitoring her vitals. "Do you really need to say that out loud?" she asked testily. The monitor gave another beep, and the number jumped to 76.

"Why don't we turn the monitors down?" a voice suggested softly. Janet Frasier reached out and placed a warm hand on Sam's arm. "I'm sorry this is uncomfortable," Janet said, giving her friend a small smile.

"Understatement," Sam muttered under her breath. She glanced at the now mostly silent monitor and saw that her pulse was back down to 68. Still higher than her normal resting rate of 56 BPM, but a little increase was to be expected, considering what they were asking her to do.

"Everything okay, Carter?" Sam turned her head to the left and caught sight of her CO standing next to Daniel against the far wall, perpendicular to the test area. She couldn't help but smile as she noticed Daniel nudge Colonel O'Neill with his shoulder.

"Jack, you promised," Daniel chastised quietly.

"Fine, Sir, " Sam replied in a strong voice, mollifying both men. "Just getting my bearings." Without warning, the red stone of the hand device began to glow and Sam jerked slightly at the tingly feeling. Two of the medical technicians closest to her took an unconscious step backwards. Both Dr. Frasier and Teal'c remained where they were.

Sam's heart rate jumped quickly to 80 and then back to 74 a few beats later. "You okay, Captain?" Janet asked, deciding to try and keep her interaction with Sam slightly more formal than usual. Sam Carter, her friend, might not always tell her exactly what was going on, but Sam seldom argued professionally with Dr. Janet Frasier.

"Fine, fine," Sam mumbled distractedly, as she looked at the glowing stone. She slowly turned her hand downwards, so the stone faced the floor.

"I believe you are ready, CaptainCarter." Teal'c bowed his head slightly and turned towards the south side of the wall where several objects had been arranged into a make shift shooting gallery.

"So all I need to do is will the device to fire, right?" Sam already knew the answer, but talking always calmed her down. Colonel O'Neill might occasionally become frustrated with her 'techno-babble', but in truth, talking is how she worked through a problem.

"Indeed. The kara kesh is aligned to your will."

Sam took a deep breath and focused her 'will' on an empty Diet Coke can. empty Guinness can (Colonel O'Neill's idea). A moment later a nearly invisible light shot out of the device and completely obliterated the small can. Sam looked at the scorch mark against the wall and felt a rush of pride.

"Well done." Teal'c might not have approved of Sam's use of the device, but he was proud of her ability to yield the weapon. He had seen Goa'uld who couldn't have aimed with such accuracy.

"How do you feel, Sam?" Janet asked. _So much for trying to keep it professional,_ Janet thought. According to her instruments, Sam's heart rate had peaked at 105 BPM as she fired the device, but it quickly lowered back to the mid 70s as soon as she stopped 'willing' the beam to fire. Sam's breathing was a little a fast, and blood pressure slightly elevated, but nothing concerning. Only a slight sheen on Sam's forehead indicated any real visual effect on her body.

"A bit tingly, but okay," Sam replied honestly. Firing the device at an inanimate object had actually been a bit of a rush.

"Let's get you back to the infirmary and test this 'tingly' feeling," Dr. Frasier said with authority.

"Come on Janet," Sam cajoled. "Let me at least do it one more time. Something bigger, perhaps?" Against the wall, Jack smirked. Leave it to his 2IC to want to go for more power. Captain Carter was damn good with weapons, but her heart lay with explosives. Carter sure did like to blow things up!

"Okay," Janet agreed. "But just one more, then you and I have a date with some needles and tests."

"Joy," Sam muttered under her breath. Both Janet and Teal'c took a step backwards as Sam readied her hand. This time, she was aiming for the 200 pound crash test dummy. Colonel O'Neill had used a Sharpee pen to draw the symbol of Apophis on its chest.

"Fire in the hole!" Sam shouted as she took a deep breath and concentrated on the dummy in front of her. A moment passed. Then another. Just when she thought it might not work, a strong beam of energy shot out from the device, hitting 'Apohpis' dead center. 'Apophis' flew backwards and struck the back wall with obvious force.

"That looked like it hurt," Jack observed casually. "Feel okay, Carter?"

"Just fine, Sir," Sam replied, breathing a bit harder than before. Janet made another notation of Sam's vitals. Once again both heart rate and blood pressure had shot up during device use, but also like before they immediately went back down after the device stopped firing.

"Captain," Janet said, relying on Sam's rank to get her attention. "Time to go."

"Yes, Mom," Sam said with a smile. Carefully, she pulled off the device and handed it to Teal'c.

"You did well, Captain Carter," Teal'c informed her with a slight nod.

"Thanks, Teal'c," Sam said softly. She followed Janet out of the room, giving both Daniel and Colonel O'Neill a small smile to show that everything was fine. She was going to be just fine.

 **TBC**


	4. Chapter 4

The next day, Sam again worked with the weaponized elements of the ribbon device, striking three make-shift 'Jaffa' warriors, as well as a model Siler had cobbled together from spare parts that was supposed to resemble a small vehicle.

"Nice!" Sam said, smiling widely to Teal'c. "I think I'm getting the hang of this thing." Sam was surprised how much easier it was to use the device a day later. Her initial trepidation had been replaced with... well, she didn't really know what to call it. It wasn't like she was _enjoying_ using the device, but it didn't make her as nervous anymore. In the back of her mind, Sam recognized that she should probably be more concerned than she actually was.

Jack once again stood against the far East wall watching his 2IC practice. He didn't particularly like the ease with which she put the device on her arm this morning. Glancing at Daniel standing beside him, he could see the same discomfort.

"Sam's getting kinda good with that thing," Daniel remarked casually.

"Yeah, I noticed," Jack replied with growing discomfort. He would have rather preferred a little less... _enjoyment_ from his Captain.

"Say Daniel," Jack called casually. "Why don't we shake things up a little and see if Carter can activate the personal shield. He turned and couldn't hide his grin from Daniel. "You ready?"

"Oh yeah," Daniel replied, picking up the small object by his side. Moving swiftly and with the ease of men who had trained closely together, Jack and Daniel immediately moved out. Jack went right and Daniel left. Sam immediately turned and tracked their progress.

"B..but...," Sam sputtered as she suddenly noticed the men and took a step away from them. "I don't know how to activate it!"

"I have observed that touching the center stone triggers the device," Teal'c informed her helpfully.

Within moments, Sam was surrounded. Colonel O'Neill one side, Daniel on the other. Before Sam could even think, she felt a sting against her left side as the training weapon discharged a painful, but harmless charge.

"Ow!" She looked at Colonel O'Neill with malice. "You didn't give me any time," she accused.

"It's been my observation, Carter," Jack remarked casually as he aimed for another shot, "that the bad guys seldom do." He fired again, followed almost immediately by Daniel.

This time Sam was ready and she crossed her chest with her left arm and with her right, pressed down on the red stone. Immediately the air shimmered with the activation of an energy shield.

"Cool!" Jack had to admit that a personal shield would be damn handy on missions. He took a step forward to see what the shield felt like, but Daniel beat him to it, and eagerly pressed on Sam's shoulder. He encountered resistance six inches in front of her.

"Wow."

Sam grinned. It wasn't every day that Daniel was reduced to single syllable words. Jack reached around the other side, and gently nudged Sam's arm with his weapon. Again, it didn't come close to touching her.

"How do you feel, Sam?" Janet asked wearily. She did not understand how the device really worked, and it worried her at how easy this seemed. To the best of her knowledge, it was simply the wearer's 'will' that generated much of the power. 'Will' needed to come from somewhere, and Janet doubted that the naquada in her blood was enough.

"I feel fine," Sam said, still smiling. "A bit more tingly, but fine."

"Wonder how long you can keep that thing up?" Jack asked.

Sam grinned. "Let's find out."

"I don't think..." Janet began.

"Ah c'mon, Janet," Sam pleaded. "It's just a shield. I'll turn it off if there's a problem." Janet pursed her lips and glanced at the medical monitors. So far, Sam's breathing, heart rate and blood pressure were holding steady. Elevated, but steady.

"Ok," Janet agreed, "but when I say stop, you stop."

"Absolutely."

Jack and Daniel spent the first few minutes trying to 'break' Sam's shield. They lunged, shoved, and shot at Sam, trying to cause her to drop the shield. Even Teal'c had a small smile on his face. Although he knew the shield was impenetrable, it amused him to watch his teammate's 'attempts' to weaken it. They already knew that a thrown projectile such as a knife could penetrate the shield, and although they certainly weren't going to use anything sharp on Sam, Daniel had had the brilliant idea of trying something else. Something a little less...pointy.

"Voila!" Daniel said, pulling out an unsharpened pencil. Teal'c raised an eyebrow as Daniel backed up so he stood approximately 20 feet away. Aiming low, he threw it at Sam. The pencil spiraled end over tip until it hit the force shield and bounced harmlessly off.

"Told ya it wouldn't work," Jack said smugly, as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a high powered nerf gun.

"Good thinking, Sir!" Sam instantly understood what Colonel O'Neill was attempting.

Jack cocked the 'gun' and took a few steps backwards until he was approximately the same distance as when he threw his knife at Apophis last year.

"I don't see how your nerf gun is going to do any better than my pencil."

"Simple," Jack said as he took aim. "Your projectile was not only going relatively slowly, but it also struck the shield lengthwise, instead of straight on."

"It's physics, Daniel," Sam explained. "Perhaps if you used a sling shot..."

Jack picked up where Sam left off. "This time," Jack continued, "I'm going to fire a projectile at a relatively uniform speed, with the bullet 'tip' guaranteed to strike the shield first."

"In this case Daniel," Sam continued, "both velocity and the shape of the object matters." She paused and grinned at Colonel O'Neill. "At least we think so." With a slight nod, Sam let her CO know she was ready.

Jack fired. The nerf bullet flew straight and easily penetrated the shield before striking Sam right above her heart.

"Ow," Sam groused. She then grinned and somewhat awkwardly bent down to pick up the foam bullet. "We'll need to find out exactly how fast that went, but it's good information to have. Great idea, Sir!" Sam was thoroughly enjoying herself.

"I wonder how that shield thing actually works?" Jack asked out loud. Daniel looked at his friend incredulously. Did he really just ask a scientist how something _worked?_ Jack raised his eyebrows and smiled, as Sam began to hypothesize about matter, energy and Goa'uld technology. He knew what he was doing.

Three minutes into Sam's explanation, the shield shimmered, losing strength momentarily. Sam paused, scrunched her eyes for a moment and then it reasserted itself full strength. Janet's eyes hadn't left the medical equipment for the past few minutes, and she now noted a rapidly increasing heart rate and elevated blood pressure.

"Sam, you need to stop," Janet ordered.

"Oh come on, Jan," Sam argued. "The tingling is a little more intense, but it doesn't hurt."

The numbers climbed more. "Now, Sam."

"It feels like a low grade electric shock, really," Sam explained, still holding her right hand over the red jewel.

"Captain..," Janet began, using her 'you better listen to me right now' voice. Jack could see the increasing concern on the CMO's face. Although he couldn't really see anything wrong with Carter either, he knew not to argue with a doc.

"Captain Carter," Jack said in a commanding voice, looking straight into Sam's eyes, "I order you to drop the shield. Now, Captain."

It was his voice that did it. Sam instantly removed her hand from the jewel and the shield vanished. Unfortunately for Sam, the moment is was gone, her legs began to buckle, unable to support her weight. Teal'c was at her side in an instant, catching his weakened colleague.

"Oookay," Sam began in a breathless voice, "that was unexpected." Teal'c lowered Sam to a sitting position as Janet hurried over, pressing two cool fingers against her friend's neck to record her pulse. Janet knew the medical monitors were recording everything as well, but the doctor in her needed the tactile confirmation. Jack crouched down next to the two women.

"Carter," he asked, using his 'I'm only slightly concerned voice'. "What's going on?"

"I can't explain it, Sir," Sam began, taking a deep breath to try and steady her racing heart. "I was feeling fine within the shield..." The look Jack gave her clearly showed that he didn't believe her. "Okay, so I was feeling _really_ tingly, but it didn't hurt, and I certainly didn't feel weak." She paused and licked her lips as Janet shone a pen light in her eyes. "Ow," Sam said, blinking and pulling away slightly.

"Mild photo sensitivity," Janet noted.

"Then what happened, Captain?" Jack asked, urging Sam to continue.

"I turned the shield off and suddenly felt like I had just run a marathon." Before Sam could continue, an unexpected yawn escaped her mouth. She blushed in embarrassment. "Sorry, Sir."

"No problem, Carter," Jack said airily, as Janet quietly asked Sam if she could stand or if they needed to call for a gurney. "We just gathered some excellent Intel." His eyes twinkled as Janet and Teal'c helped Sam stand slowly up. "The next time we meet a Goa'uld, we just need to force the guy to continuously use his shield until he passes out."

"You know he would most likely just ring out before it got to that point, Jack." Daniel informed him, as he followed the group as they slowly walked towards the elevator. Sam was looking increasingly wobbly on her feet, but between Teal'c and Janet, she was upright.

Janet didn't mind the group escort to the infirmary, but once Sam was safely situated on a bed, she ordered the three men back outside.

"Captain Carter will be fine," she assured them. "I just need to run some tests."

"Have fun with your tests Carter!" Jack called out as Janet pulled the curtain closed.

 **TBC**


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes: Warning! Rating Change. This chapter is now rated 'T' for... let's just say anyone under 12 won't really understand the reference. *Ahem***

* * *

The third day of testing wasn't quite as exciting. After an unheard of 10 hour sleep (on base, per Janet's orders), Sam had felt fine the next day. As much as Janet would have preferred to have Sam take at least a day's break from testing the device, there wasn't really a medical reason why. Sam's vitals were once again back to normal, and although Sam admitted that her body still tingled slightly, she assured Janet it was very mild. Very mild wasn't enough to postpone testing. What Janet could do however, was limit it. Testing on the third day consisted of three short weapon tests, and a shield test lasting less than one minute. Janet definitely could claim medical grounds to limit shield use.

The fourth day, SG-1 arrived on Level 17 only to be told that the experiments would cease until further notice. Daniel thought perhaps this was a good sign, and that the military had gathered all the intelligence it needed. Jack and Sam however did not feel as sanguine. Knowing the military as they did, both were certain this wasn't over.

Hammond sat stiffly at the head of the table, as all four members of SG-1 and Doctor Frasier walked into the briefing room. George watched as his people filed into the room, and motioned for them to sit. His face was guarded, with a 'don't shoot the messenger' look to it.

"Captain Carter," Hammond began without preamble, "the Pentagon has been pleased with the test results so far and would like to increase both the scope and duration of the test with the ribbon device."

Sam sighed, but refused to look away from Hammond's gaze. Perhaps using the ribbon device for 3 days had some positive benefits after all. She certainly didn't relish the notion of additional testing, but was resigned to make the best of things and follow orders. Jack O'Neill however was pissed. He vividly recalled Carter collapsing after maintaining a shield for ten odd minutes.

"Increase _how?"_ Jack asked, adding a quick 'sir', on the end of his question.

"Rather than have Captain Carter submit to a few short tests at a time, the Pentagon would like her to use the ribbon device repeatedly over a sustained period."

Jack did not like the sound of that. " _How_ sustained?"

"At least 15 minutes of continuous use." Daniel paled at the announcement, and this time Sam did lower her head in defeat. 15 minutes was _a lot._

"No." Four sets of eyes turned towards the rather uncharacteristically quiet declaration from Jack. There wasn't the expected _'for crying out loud'_ or even polite but insistent disagreement; this was adamant refusal.

"Excuse me, Colonel?" The tone that told Jack he was teetering on something he wouldn't be able to take back.

"No, **Sir.** " It took quite a bit to render General George Hammond speechless. He'd taken a lot from Jack, but never outright refusal of an order.

Before either Hammond or O'Neill could speak again, Dr. Frasier filled the void. "I think what the Colonel is trying to say," Janet paused and made sure both the General and Colonel were listening. "Is that there is no way I would medically allow such a test." Jack blinked. Exactly. He should have known Doc Frasier would have Sam's back.

"What do you mean, Doctor?" Hammond asked.

"Sir," Janet continued, "Captain Carter has only used the device in half a dozen short, highly regulated experiments. The one where she kept the shield active for a sustained time resulted in extreme lethargy and an increase in all her vital signs. In my _medical opinion_ ," Janet enunciated the words, "and in the best interest of my patient, I do _not_ support allowing Captain Carter to use the device for 15 minutes." Hammond absorbed her words.

"I understand your reluctance, Doctor, but I have my orders." Hammond paused, considering his next words. "However, in your professional opinion," Hammond paused again, trying to come up with a compromise that would mollify everyone, "how much time would you consider safe for Captain Carter?"

Janet pounced on the question. To her, this was the best any of them could hope for. "No more than 5 minutes to start with, General," Janet said firmly. " _If_ and I mean _if,_ there are no apparent medical side effects for Captain Carter, we can increase usage to 7 and later 10 minutes." She paused, making sure the General understood what she was saying. "And that increase should not happen before an additional 24 hour rest and a battery of tests to ensure Sam's... Captain Carter's physical and mental well-being."

Hammond had never been more thankful for the hiring of Dr. Janet Frasier. Now he had his base's CMO recommending an alternative course of action, and CMOs carried a lot of weight. He should be able to push this through.

"I think that would be acceptable, Doctor," Hammond said finally. "What do you say, Captain?"

"I think 5 minutes is definitely preferable to 15, Sir," Sam said thankfully.

" Colonel O'Neill?" Hammond waited as Jack processed the terms.

"Although I'd prefer we throw the damn thing away," Jack began, holding up a hand as he requested time to finish. "I think 5 minutes is a good compromise."

"All right," Hammond said, rising to his feet. The three military personnel did the same[U4] . "SG-1, you and Dr. Frasier are to report to Level 17 this afternoon at 1300. I look forward to hearing how the testing goes."

Sam was nervous. Logically, she told herself this shouldn't feel all that different than the other times. She was just firing the weapon. She had done that before, with only the lingering tingling as an after effect. No big deal, right?

Except it was a big deal. That sick feeling was back, and Sam knew, _knew_ that she shouldn't be using the ribbon device for prolonged periods of time. She _knew_ that using the ribbon device as a weapon was infinitely more serious than using it as a personal shield. She also knew, or felt like she knew, that sustained use was _bad._ She just didn't know why.

Sam stood patiently as Janet double checked the connections between her body and the portable medical equipment. At the opposite end of the room, Daniel and Colonel O'Neill stood once again against a wall. Daniel looked apprehensive. Colonel O'Neill just looked like he wanted to punch something. Yikes.

A light touch on her shoulder. "You ready, Sam?"

"Ready as I'll ever be," Sam said, squaring her shoulders.

"You stop anytime you need to, Captain," Jack called out, as Sam raised her arm and pointed the ribbon device at the blast doors.

"I will, Sir." Taking a deep breath, Sam willed the weapon 'on' and began firing at the double-sided blast doors. The first blast felt like it did the day before. An initial rush, followed by a brief let down feeling. Only this time, Sam fired again. And again. By the fourth blast, there was no 'let down' feeling.

Janet watched Sam anxiously as time passed at a snail's pace. Her eyes flicking back and forth between Sam and the machines. After the first fired volley, Sam's heart rate monitor immediately shot up to 105. With the second, the machine showed am increase to 110. By the fourth blast, Sam's heart rate was a steady 120 beats per minute. For 60 seconds, nothing could be heard except the steady (if rapid) soft beeping of the heart rate monitor and the thudding explosions as they struck the blast door again and again.

The second minute, Sam's heart rate jumped again. This time to 136 BPM. Blood pressure also started to increase, and a visible sheen of sweat could be seen on Sam's forehead. Janet asked Sam a question, but Sam could only shake her head; speaking was too challenging. All her focus was on firing the weapon.

By the third minute it became clear that the frequent firings of the device were having an adverse effect on Sam. Janet noticed Sam's vitals and the ever increasing numbers. They weren't critical. Yet. But Janet knew she would be stopping this test very, very soon. Teal'c silently watched as Sam swayed slightly with each release of the hand device energy. Across the room, both Daniel and Jack couldn't help but notice that what had been determination on Sam's face had morphed into... _joy?_ Sam was smiling. It was an intense, personal smile. A smile that clearly showed she was really enjoying what she was doing far more than she should.

It was during the fourth minute that Janet realized she was going to have to stop this test before the fifth minute mark. Sam's heart rate was now approaching 160 BPM and although that wasn't unusually high for a fit woman in her early 30s, what worried Janet the most was how steadily both her heart rate and blood pressure were increasing with each 'shot' of the device. Janet glanced away from the monitors to Sam's face and was surprised to see that Sam no longer looked afraid. In fact, she almost looked like she was having fun. Janet frowned and checked the measurements again. Vital signs were still rising. She heard the release of another blast of energy and turned back towards Sam to see how this latest volley was affecting her. The doctor in her observed the way Sam was almost panting with exertion, the increase of her heart now to the point where she couldn't breathe normally. Her eyes traveled first down Sam's torso, observing the slight shaking of her limbs, before traveling back to her face. And that's when Janet saw it. The flushed face, the near complete absence of eye color due to increased pupil dilation. Ohmygod ohmygod ohmygod. Captain Doctor Samantha Carter was about to have a very public orgasm.

* * *

A/N - **rubs hands together manically** Well? Do I have your attention now?(And if yes, do let me know!) I am inordinately pleased with this chapter, as it originally was so hard to write. For anyone truly worried, _of course_ , I'm not going to have Sam fall apart in public. It was just a most excellent place to stop!

I had _no_ idea I was going to go down this road at all, until I started writing this. But as I researched the effects of elevated heart rate and blood pressure, it hit me what _else_ causes that. Plus, remember how good Daniel felt after repeated sarcophagus use? Same idea. Only quicker. And more intense. Yikes! And yes, for the record, I totally think what is happening to Sam, happens to the goa'uld too. Gotta be more than just torture that gets them all hot and bothered, don't 'cha think? Of course, we don't see them using the hand device minute after minute, but that doesn't mean a host's endorphins and the like aren't tweaked pleasurably when they do. Ew. Gross. Forget I said that.

Iformation about the hand/ribbon device came from the Stargate Wiki. wiki/Kara_kesh

Thanks to Flatkatsi for her always wonderful editing!


	6. Chapter 6 - Tal'kek

Previously...

 _It was during the fourth minute that Janet knew she needed to stop this test in the next several seconds. Sam's heart rate was now approaching 160 BPM and although that wasn't unusually high for a fit woman in her early 30s, what worried Janet the most was how steadily both her heart rate and blood pressure were increasing with each 'shot' of the device. Janet glanced away from the monitors to Sam's face and was surprised to see that Sam no longer looked afraid. In fact, she almost looked like she was having enjoying herself. A lot. Janet frowned and checked the measurements again. Vital signs were still rising. She heard the release of another blast of energy and turned back towards Sam to see how this latest volley was affecting her. The doctor in her observed the way Sam was almost panting with exertion, the increase of her heart now to the point where she couldn't breathe normally. Her eyes traveled first down Sam's torso, observing the slight shaking of her limbs, before traveling back to her face. And that's when Janet saw it. The flushed face, the near complete absence of eye color due to increased pupil dilation. Ohmygod ohmygod ohmygod. Captain Doctor Samantha Carter was about to have a very public orgasm._

 **Chapter 6 - Tal'kek**

"Stop!" Janet shouted frantically, eyes darting between Sam, the machines and the still active ribbon device firing blasts of energy every five seconds or so.

Sam did not stop. In fact, her face showed no indication at all that she had even heard Dr. Frasier's frantic order.

"Captain Carter, you must stop firing the weapon **now!"** Janet ordered, positively screaming in Sam's ear.

 _Beep._ 168 BPM.

Janet heard the swift pounding of boots as Jack and Daniel quickly crossed the room to stand by Janet's side. Teal'c was already there, and much to the shock of the other three SG personnel, he had pulled out his zat and was holding it loosely by his side. Teal'c had also been closely watching Sam for the past four minutes, and recognized earlier than Doctor Frasier what the continuous use of the kara kesh was doing to Captain Carter. He was certain she would rather have herself zatted than experience Kal Tek in front of her team mates. Teal'c positioned his body just in front and to the right of Sam's field of vision.

"Captain Carter," Teal'c bellowed, using his rarely used scary-sounding First Prime voice. "You must cease use of the weapon immediately!" He lightly touched the zat'ni'katel by his side, priming the weapon for use, and aimed it at the young captain.

 _Beep._ 172 BPM.

Sam's body was now visibly shaking from both the exertion of device use and the incredibly intense feelings coursing through her body.

 _Beep._ 176 BPM.

Jack arrived at Sam's side only a few seconds after Janet's initial panicked pleas for Sam to stop. Jack O'Neill was a quick study. He had been told by more than one CO, that his skills and intuition were outstanding and had learned to 'trust his gut' when he just didn't have enough information to properly assess a situation.

This was one of those times.

In the span of a few heart beats, he had watched as the CMO apparently saw something that caused her to go nearly apeshit, which resulted in her ordering Carter to stop. Teal'c was obviously clued into things as well, as he had quickly tried to do the same thing, only with T', he had felt the need to also ready his zat. _So_ not a good sign.

As for Carter...Carter was still systematically firing away, apparently oblivious to the orders for her to stop. Judging by the health monitors (and the Doc's rather panicky shouts), Carter really needed to stop. Problem was, she didn't seem to be able to do it on her own. Jack risked a critical few seconds to pause and really look at his CI2. His eyes widened in disbelief.

 _Holy Shit!_

Standing in front of him, merrily firing that damn Goa'uld death ray, was a woman about to completely lose herself in ecstasy. Sexual ecstasy. Jack might not have remembered his time with Kynthia very clearly (thank god), but he certainly recalled watching his wife in the throes of passion. Carter looked Just. Like. That.

 _Beep._ 180 BPM.

Without pausing one second more, Jack glanced at Teal'c and gave him a quick nod. Teal'c immediately fired his zat'ni'kat'el, causing Sam to grimace and jerk the hand controlling the ribbon device to the right before powering down automatically as she fell unconscious to the floor. Daniel was immediately by her side, yanking off the ribbon device and holding his friend securely in his lap. Although definitely unconscious, Sam continued to breathe heavily and Daniel could fee her body shake in small seizures beneath his arms.

"Why the hell did you do that?" Daniel asked angrily, eyes flashing back and forth between Jack and Teal'c. He knew who had given Teal'c the order, he just didn't understand why. Janet was already at Daniel's side, fingers against Sam's neck.

"Believe me Daniel," Jack said in a rough voice that sounded suspiciously like he had dodged a bullet, "Carter herself will thank me for that one."

"She probably will, sir," Janet added with a heavy sigh, "but all the same, I r _eally_ wish we could have gotten her to stop firing the device on her own. " Sam's pulse was still extremely high and unless Janet was misinterpreting the stutters against her fingertips, Sam had now developed an arrhythmia. Her frowned deepened, as she pulled the stethoscope from around her neck and placed it on Sam's chest. Janet could both see and feel the tremors still coursing through her friend's body.

"Damn," Janet muttered softly. "Colonel, we need to get Sam to the infirmary, stat." Janet had been prepared to monitor Sam, and supply some level of medical aid, but was not prepared to treat someone in full blown cardiac distress.

"She okay to move, Doc?" Jack asked, feeling the weight of his decision to zat his Captain acutely. Carter might have been terribly embarrassed if she had continued firing much longer, but embarrassment was a hell of a lot better than dead.

Janet bit her lower lip, thinking quickly. The best course of action would be to stay here and monitor Sam until a proper medical team arrived. But in this case, Janet knew exactly what the situation was (unlike being called to the Gate room without a clue as to what she'd find). Sam didn't have a back injury, and was breathing on her own...

"Yes," Janet said finally, making what she hoped was the right decision. "But we need to move fast." Moving as the well trained team they were, Teal'c reached down and gently picked Sam up, while Daniel grabbed both the portable heart rate and blood pressure monitors. Jack ran ahead and pushed the elevator button. By the time Teal'c arrived with Sam in his arms, Jack was standing in the elevator, holding the doors open.

"I called the infirmary," Jack informed the group as everyone moved inside the elevator. He eyed the unconscious captain with growing concern. "They're expecting us." Jack pushed the button for Level 21 as the doors slid silently closed.

"Thank you, Colonel." Janet had been hoping he'd have enough time to do just that. Only the soft, if slightly erratic beeping of the heart rate monitor could be heard as they traveled the short distance between Level 17 and 21.

Janet's team, complete with a gurney and three nurses, was waiting for them the moment the elevator doors opened. Teal'c carefully lowered Sam onto the wheeled bed and stepped aside as she was immediately surrounded by two nurses. The third nurse took the medical equipment from Daniel and within moments both Sam and the medical team were gone, swiftly wheeled down the hall and into the Infirmary.

"What," Daniel barked, turning angrily towards Jack, "the hell just happened?!" Daniel was pissed. He knew he was missing something, as there was no way Jack would blithely give the order to zat a member of his team, but for the life of him he could not see why. Jack must have seen something he hadn't. The same thing Janet and Teal'c seemed to have seen, as all were apparently okay with the shooting of one Captain Doctor Samantha Carter.

Jack let out a huge sigh, and ran his fingers wearily across his face. "Daniel, Carter's heart rate was sky rocketing and she wouldn't or couldn't stop using that damn device."

"It's not like you guys gave her much time to comply!" Daniel replied angrily, glaring at his friend. "God, Jack! I swear it was less than five seconds after Janet first asked Sam to stop before you told Teal'c to fire on her! "

"Well, _technically_ there were no verbal orders..."

"Jack, stop being an ass!" Daniel shouted. "I saw you give Teal'c the go ahead to fire on Sam." He balled his fists in frustration and then shook them out. "I know her BP was high, but it wasn't critically high. I mean, I've recorded 180 during one of those damn training runs you're always forcing me to do."

Jack pressed his palms against his eyelids and let out an angry, frustrated sound. It was bad enough that he had _seen_ it, now he had to _explain_ it? Teal'c, noticing Jack's obvious discomfort, sought to explain what had happened.

"Daniel Jackson," Teal'c began gently, "There was both a medical and personal reason to incapacitate Captain Carter quickly." Daniel looked at the Jaffa in confusion. _Personal?_

" It is true her heart rate was indeed high, and I am certain Doctor Frasier will tell you that humans cannot safely tolerate such elevated numbers for a sustained period."

"But if had only been a few minutes!" Daniel retorted. Surely, Sam wasn't in _immediate_ danger from that?

"There was both a medical and _personal_ reason to incapacitate," Teal'c repeated. Daniel continued to look confused.

"Personal?" he repeated. "What do you mean by personal?"

Jack grimaced and dropped his head to his chest. Now would be a most excellent time for the earth to open up and swallow him whole.

"Daniel Jackson," Teal'c continued patiently. "Captain Carter was in the grasp of tal'kek. There was little time remaining."

"Tal'kek?" Daniel scrunched his eyebrows in confusion. "I'm not sure I know that word." He began to work through the word's etymology out loud. "Kek is easy, that's death, but tal..." his voice trailed off as his brain sought reference. "Well, there's Tal'shak, but that means 'come on' or 'let's do it'." He shook his head, frustrated at not seeing how it all fit together. "Let's do it death?"

Jack grimaced. Yeah, that sounded about right. Raising his eyes from that ever fascinating spot on the floor, he met Daniel's confused stare.

"Daniel," Jack began with a resigned sigh, "have you ever heard the expression 'la petite mort'?

"Well of course," Daniel began, instantly translating the French phrase in his mind. "That means..." His eyes widened in realization. "Oh!"

"Exactly," Jack said with a tight nod.

"You mean Sam was..."

"Uh huh."

"Really?"

"Oh yeah."

"Indeed."

Daniel quickly processed what he had just learned. "Boy, is Sam going to be embarrassed," he muttered under his breath. "Well in that case," he said finally, blushing faintly on Sam's behalf. "I think you guys did the right thing."

"I am _so_ glad you approve Dr. Jackson," Jack replied sarcastically.

"Sam would have wanted you to do it," Daniel added unnecessarily.

"Yep." Jack rocked back and forth on the balls of his feet, shoving his hands deep within the pockets of his pants. Daniel and Teal'c were equally uncomfortable. No one quite knew what to say next.

"So...think we should go see how Sam's doing now?" Daniel said finally.

"Excellent idea!" Jack said with far too much enthusiasm. He was just happy to stop talking about all of this. He made a motion with his hands, inviting Daniel to lead the way. The trio walked down the hall and rounded the corner that led to the infirmary. Jack knew it was probably too much to hope for, but maybe, just maybe Sam wouldn't remember a single damn thing.

* * *

Notes: You grinning? I hope you're grinning. I totally enjoyed writing this chapter. And although I probably could have added some more graphic details, I think I balanced it just enough to tantalize those who want more and not creep out those who didn't want any. You tell me if I succeeded! To all those who have reviewed and favorited, thank you! You know it makes me write all the faster. :)

I completely made up the term tal'kek, but used the Goa'uld dictionaries at stargate slash wiki and prophet dot phlegethon dot com slashFiction slashSG-1 slash Background slash goauld_ dic for help. (Man I hate not being able to post URLs!)


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

Sam awoke to the familiar beeping of infirmary machines. She cracked her eyes slightly, relieved that the lights were turned on low. Before Sam had a chance to better assess her situation, she heard the tell-tale sound of heels clicking on the concrete floor. Sam sighed. So much for a little time to herself.

"Good morning," Janet said cheerfully.

"I'm still withholding judgment," Sam groused, as she fumbled along the side of her bed and pushed a button to raise her mattress. "No loud talking, okay?"

"Headache?" Janet guessed.

"Like a jackhammer," Sam whispered. Janet made a note in her chart and then pushed a few buttons, sending a strong pain reliever directly into Sam's IV.

"How long was I out?" Sam asked, running her tongue across her teeth. Usually the fuzziness gave her some indication. _24, maybe 36 hours?_

"48 hours," Janet informed her. She paused, considering her patient. "What do you remember?"

Sam sighed. Unfortunately she remembered everything. Or near everything. Obviously, once zatted, her memories ended.

"Can we pretend I remember nothing?" Sam asked hopefully.

"Even if you hadn't already given yourself away," Janet began, "I'm afraid you're a lousy liar Sam, the guys would know."

 _The Guys._

Sam blushed a deep crimson. "Oh God, " she moaned. "They saw everything, didn't they?" Sam fought the urge to pull the covers over her face. Sam's eyes widened in memory. " _You_ saw everything too!"

"Not exactly a typical day at the office, "Janet replied drolly. Seeing the deep humiliation on her friend's face, she lightened her tone.

"Sam, it wasn't as bad as you think," Janet assured her.

"I was there Janet," Sam said testily. "It wasn't good." Janet bit her lip slightly as she held back a sassy comment. She had forgotten how reserved Sam was about her sexuality.

"Okay," Janet said, pulling up a wheeled stool and sitting by her friend's side. "So, you got a little...carried away," Janet began. "But," she continued, holding up a hand before Sam could interrupt, "it really wasn't as bad as it could have been."

Sam threw a pillow over her head. "Ha!" Suddenly, Sam pulled the pillow away from her face, as she frantically looked around the room. _Where were the guys? It wasn't like the Colonel to let a member of his team wake up alone._

"If you're wondering where the guys are," Janet explained, "I asked if they could hold off on the visits until I had a chance to talk with you first." A look of relief washed over Sam.

"Thank you."

"Sam," Janet said gently, "The device did cause an adverse reaction..."

"Yeah, I noticed," Sam said dryly. Janet shook her head.

"I'm not talking about that one." Janet paused. "Sam, you nearly died."

"What?!"

"You heard me," Janet confirmed. "The strain to your body was extreme Sam, you developed acute arrhythmia and your heart nearly couldn't take it."

"Really?" Janet nodded.

"It was pretty close for a minute there."

"Wow," Sam said softly. "I don't remember."

"Considering you were unconscious at the time, I'm not surprised." Janet gave her friend a small smile.

"And now?" Sam asked, lightly fingering the monitors affixed to her chest.

"And now your heart rate, blood pressure and brain scans are completely normal." Janet shook her head in amazement. "It's startling really. I'm not sure if it's because of your age and excellent health, the naquada in your bloodstream or just the limited exposure...but you're pretty much back to normal." Sam raised an eyebrow.

"Pretty much?"

"I'm still waiting on some blood work," Janet added. "I have a feeling I'm going to still see some elevated serotonin and other natural neuro-chemicals in there. They seem to be decreasing daily, but the numbers when you were first brought in were sky -high. There was a reason you were feeling so good."

"Sky high," Sam repeated, blushing slightly. "I'd say that about sums it up." Janet looked at her friend curiously.

"Sam, you don't have to answer this, but... what did it feel like, from your perspective?" Sam laughed softly.

"It felt good," she said finally, giving her friend a little grin. "I mean, _really_ good. I was aware of you all for the first couple of minutes, but after a while, I didn't really see or hear anything except the target. All that mattered was firing and feeling." Sam paused and licked her lips. "And the feeling part felt really _really_ good."

"I noticed," Janet remarked with a wry smile. She then turned serious. There was one more thing Sam needed to know. "As you might recall, we recorded the whole thing."

"Oh God!" Sam cried, covering her face with her hands. She hadn't realized it was possible to feel even _more_ mortified.

"I think you should watch it," Janet advised her friend. "Yes, it's embarrassing, but Sam, it really isn't that bad. Certainly not as bad as it could have been."

Sam slowly parted her fingers and looked at Janet through the gaps. "Okay," she sighed. "I'll do it."

* * *

The guys shuffled quietly into the infirmary, and Sam felt embarrassed for _their_ embarrassment. Daniel was already blushing slightly, but made an effort to make eye contact and give her a small smile. Based on the video evidence, Sam was pretty sure Daniel hadn't actually _seen_ anything embarrassing, but based on his current behavior, he had clearly been told what he had missed. Sam winced. She had been hoping maybe he hadn't, but wasn't surprised that he had been filled in.

Sam recalled feeling a fierce brotherly affection as she watched Daniel yell at the Colonel on her behalf and pull her unconscious body onto his lap. He hadn't known why she had been zatted, and although without weapons, was clearly 'protecting' her. Sam had no doubt that if this had been a foothold situation, Daniel would have fought (and yes, probably lost) to keep her safe.

Teal'c was more challenging to read. _As if that is anything new._ His face did not show any discomfiture, and for that Sam was very thankful. It was bad enough dealing with Daniel and Colonel O'Neill's embarrassment, she was glad at least one of her team member's was handling this well. She smiled wryly to herself as she realized that at some point she had completely lost track that he was there. According to that damn video, at just a few seconds after the 4 minute mark, immediately after Janet's frantic cry for Sam to stop, Teal'c had activated his zat. The camera angle didn't clearly show Teal'c's face (as if that would actually give much away), but you could hear the electronic whine of a zat being primed for use and could see Teal'c holding it loosely by his side, as if waiting to see what would happen next. And of course what happened next was that Colonel O'Neill had given Teal'c the go-ahead to zat her.

Thank God.

Finally, Sam's eyes swept over Colonel O'Neill. With his hands deep in his pockets and his eyes restlessly looking pretty much everywhere but directly at her, Sam knew he was the most acutely uncomfortable of them all. He was also the one who more than likely had looked at her the most critically (outside of Janet). Which meant he had seen... he had _seen._ Sam closed her eyes briefly, trying desperately to soften the images she had seen of herself. She knew without a doubt that those images were also burned into Colonel O'Neill's memory as well.

Hey. On the bright side, she did have her clothes on.

Sam abruptly laughed out loud, startling all three men.

"Carter...?" Jack asked, confused.

"Sorry, Sir," Sam replied contritely. "Had a funny thought."

Jack looked at her curiously. "Anything you care to share, Captain?"

Sam met O'Neill's gaze. "That would definitely be a 'no', Sir." Jack was confused, but seeing how his Captain appeared to be somewhat relaxed at the moment, he wasn't going to knock it.

"So, Carter..." Jack began, not really knowing what he was going to say, but determined to at least get the Awkward Train rolling. Sam held up a hand.

"Sir, may I go first?" Jack nodded. _Bullet temporarily dodged!_

Sam had had nearly three days to think about this. And as mortified as she was by everything that had happened, she needed to make it right so the team could move on. Sam pushed herself up a little straighter on the bed.

" I'm only going to say this once, so listen up," Sam began, surprising the three men with the strength of her words.

"First, I am _fine._ Heart rate and blood pressure are back to normal and although my blood work still shows elevated serotonin and other natural chemicals that can act as neurotransmitters, everything appears to be going back to normal. Janet has scheduled me for weekly brain MRIs to ensure nothing out of the ordinary is going on, but we reviewed the last one together this morning and it was remarkably normal-looking. She grinned at her team.

"Janet has also ran a god-awful number of blood tests, and if the last one comes back clean, I'm free to go."

"That would be 'clean'ish', Sam," Janet amended, interrupting from the side of the room where she was typing up her notes. "It's going to take some time for your body to fully purge those natural chemicals I was talking about." Sam smiled slightly.

"Yes, Mom." She looked at Janet. "Can I continue now?" Janet nodded and then returned to her laptop.

"The point is," Sam continued, "I'm going to be fine." Sam paused again, carefully watching as the men consumed the information she had shared. Ever so slightly, both Daniel and Colonel O'Neill seemed to relax.

"Janet believes the ribbon device relies on much the same technology as the sarcophagus." Daniel did his best not to noticeably cringe. It hadn't been that long ago when he had been addicted to that damn thing. Daniel winced, as he realized that Sam had stopped talking and that everyone was looking at him.

"Not my finest hour," Daniel finally said with a shrug.

"Hour?" Jack asked, raising an eyebrow. _If only!_

"Fine, month!" Daniel wrapped his arms tightly around his torso. Jack immediately backed off. Torso-wrapping was Daniel speak for 'I'm really uncomfortable right now.'

"It wasn't your fault, Daniel," Sam said softly. Daniel opened his mouth as if to contradict her, but Sam held up a hand to stop him.

"According to Dr. Frasier," Sam continued, "the hand device does release many of the same natural chemicals, as the sarcophagus. It also causes many of the same elevated... emotions." Jack raised an eyebrow at that, as he was pretty certain Daniel hadn't been bouncing off the walls in quite the same way as Carter. "The reason," Sam said continuing, "why I didn't go through heavy withdrawal like Daniel is two-fold."

"First, it turnes out the naquada in my blood acts as a buffer of sorts. I'm able to regulate the effects to a degree that Daniel couldn't."

"Um, no offense Captain," Jack said awkwardly, "But you weren't doing that great a job of 'regulating'." Now it was Sam's turn to cringe.

"Which leads me to the second reason why I'm not currently in an isolation room dry-heaving as I go through withdrawal." Sam immediately regretted her choice of words. "Sorry Daniel." He shrugged slightly in a 'what can you do' sort of way.

"Duration," Sam continued. "The first few tests, the ones where I only used the device for a couple of seconds, or a few shots, these hardly elevated anything. It was when I started to use the ribbon device for longer periods of time that I became either weak or..." Sam fumbled, trying to think of a word that wouldn't completely embarrass either her or her team.

"Libidinous?" Jack suggested helpfully. Sam grimaced.

"Not a term I ever considered applying to myself," Sam muttered, "but I guess if the shoe fits..." Sam shrugged.

"Anyhow," she continued, "It was due to the _duration_ of device use that resulted in the exaggerated effects. Janet still is unclear why extended shield use causes weakness and weapon use causes," Sam looked briefly down before meeting her CO's eyes. "Other things."

"But the point is," Sam said with increasing conviction, "we now know the effects and what triggers them."

"Which means," Janet said interrupting Sam and wheeling around to face the team, "that there is now a permanent, _medical_ limitation on what Sam can and cannot do with that device."

"Think that will be enough to convince The Powers That Be?" Jack asked skeptically. When the Pentagon wanted something, they were like a dog with a really good bone.

"After I write it up, it will be," Janet replied smugly.

"All of this means," Sam said, wanting to wrap it up, "is that I am very _very_ grateful for what all of you did for me." Sam paused one last time. These next words were the most important. " **But** ," she said enunciating the conjunction, just like P3X-595 and P2X-462..."

Daniel went immediately crimson and felt three sets of eyes staring at him. Sam was right, that was one mission they were never, _ever_ to mention again. Embarrassment couldn't capture the depth of humiliation he felt as he remembered how high he had gotten after drinking the Shaman's bark tea (the same tea Jack had urged him not to take). Later, he learned that he had spent the better part of the night 'marking' his territory by peeing on random trees and shrubs within a five mile radius. He glanced over at Jack who was struggling very hard not to laugh outright at the memory.

"And just like _that_ mission , Sam continued, shooting her CO a scathing look to wipe the smile from his face, "We will never _ever_ talk about this again." Sam made eye contact with each man, making sure they understood just how serious she was. There would be no joking. No 'remember when Sam nearly lost it' banter around the campfire. **There would be no retelling of this event whatsoever.** Each of the three men, even the Colonel, nodded solemnly. They got the message loud and clear.

"So Carter," Jack said finally, breaking the silence. "When is the Doc going to spring you?"

"That would be now," Janet said smiling. "I just got Sam's blood work back and the results are close enough to normal to release Captain Carter to light duty."

"You heard the lady," Sam said happily, motioning for the men to leave."Shoo. I am free to leave, and I for one would like to get dressed."

The men had just begun to say their goodbyes when the shrill of a telephone caused them to momentarily pause. Janet immediately answered.

"Infirmary." SG-1 watched as Janet listened closely. The team was half way out the door, before she held up a hand and beckoned for them to stay. "Yes, sir, I'll let them know." Janet hung up the phone and turned towards the team with a look of slight concern.

"That was General Hammond," she explained. "They just received a communication from the Tok'ra." All four members of SG-1 exchanged worried glances. The Tok'ra were calling on _them_? That couldn't be good. "It seems the Tok'ra need SG-1's help. They'll be here within the hour."

 **TBC**

* * *

Notes: Heh. Now that's a cliff hanger, eh? Anyone see that coming? VBG. Now we're going to get to the heart of the story. Part 2 so to speak. Whee! I'm starting a new job on Monday, so I'm not sure if I'll be able to post again before next week. Thanks for your patience!


End file.
